


to seek out better life

by sparkyeureka (sparkycap)



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Parenthood, Pre-Canon, Star Trek References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 18:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11674848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparkycap/pseuds/sparkyeureka
Summary: Stacker is a sci-fi fan. Herc is determined to become one. For the children.





	to seek out better life

**Author's Note:**

> It occurs to me that Star Trek might have lost some of its allure in a world where alien life is very much a terrifying reality, but then again this world has kaiju cultists and giant robots named Gipsy Danger, so probably not. The events of this fic probably started with Chuck arguing that they know what aliens look like, and they're sure as hell not as cuddly as Vulcans, and Mako reasoning that they haven't seen _all_ aliens, surely, and maybe the kaiju are simply their Klingons.

The first thing Herc says when Stacker opens the door to him, forgoing any and all pleasantries, is: “I need you to make me like Star Trek.”

Stacker blinks. “What.”

“Star Trek,” Herc repeats, as if it’ll make more sense the second time. He makes an impatient face. “Mako said you watched it together, yeah?”

“Yes, we did,” Stacker says slowly, still attempting to work out how this is relevant.

“Ace. You wanna watch it again?”

“And… make you like it?”

“’S what I said, right?” Only now does Herc finally step inside, even though Stacker had stepped aside to invite him the moment he saw who it was—the moment he opened the door, really, because the Hansens have a very particular knock, and Chuck isn’t likely to be the one showing up at his private quarters at twenty-two hundred hours. “Your girl got Chuck into it, and it’s the first time he’s ever—I mean, you know how hard it is to get that kid into anything other than training and jaeger schematics? I gotta see what it’s all about.”

First instinct has him wanting to point out that maybe if Herc wanted to know about one of his son’s interests he should, possibly, ask his son, but he knows better by now. Fond exasperation is slowly turning into genuine frustration the longer Stacker has to witness firsthand their strained dynamic, but this is Herc trying. That should be encouraged. “And how am I supposed to help?”

“Fell asleep halfway through the first episode,” Herc admits. He claps Stacker on the shoulder as he passes and then takes a seat uninvited on the small couch in the main room of the suite. It’s one he shares with Mako as long as they’re in Sydney, however long that’ll end being. Herc looks up at him meaningfully and Christ, those eyes of his are a lethal weapon all on their own. “Need you to make it interesting, Stacks.”

“It’s already interesting,” Stacker says mildly. “As you might’ve seen, if you’d watched more than half an episode.”

Herc tips him a small smile. “Well, that’s why it’s your job to keep me awake, isn’t it?”

Stacker dutifully begins queuing the first disc. “Do you know where Mako is?”

“With Chuck. Working, supposedly, though last I saw Chuck was getting all worked up about not being able to do some sort of wave while she pretended not to laugh at him.”

Beating back the instinctive protest at leaving Mako alone with Chuck Hansen—Herc wouldn’t take kindly to it, and Mako could more than handle the boy—he held up his right hand in a Vulcan salute. “You mean this?”

Herc frowns. “Yeah, that’s it.”

“Not a wave,” Stacker tells him. And then he can’t quite help himself. “Those two…”

“Nothing to it, I don’t think,” Herc says, not needing to ask what he’s thinking. “Chuck’s not… honestly, I’m not sure he’s wired that way.”

Stacker shoots him a considering look. “You think he’s gay?”

“No, I meant—” Herc stops, cocks his head. “Hell, maybe. But I meant he’s… single-minded. Not really a people person, my boy, don’t know if you’ve noticed. Always got more important things to do.”

“I wonder where he gets that from,” Stacker says dryly.

Herc just sighs. “Yeah.”

And, well, quid pro quo. “Mako can be like that.”

“Nicer about it, though.”

“Mm.”

The show starts. It doesn’t need to be said that this being one of the few things able to divert Chuck’s attention from the war means Herc will shoulder his way into liking it through sheer force of will if he needs to; there are very few scraps of normalcy men like them are capable of giving their children, and all of them need to be held tight with both hands to prevent them slipping away.

It’s the whole reason Stacker had shown it to Mako in the first place. To offer a respite—and maybe, if he was lucky, a little bit of hope.

Seems it has, at least, given her another thing in common with the closest thing to a friend she’s had since he’s known her. That has to be good for her, that socialization with someone her age, having a conversation about something other than the best way to upgrade a Mark III’s speed or the quickest way to kill a Cat-II.

Even if it is with Chuck Hansen.

Stacker glances at Herc, who is focusing so intently he might be about to start taking notes, trying so hard and clearly not getting all the fuss and still trying anyway—Herc’s patience was painstakingly learned, Stacker knows, but the stubbornness he came by honestly—and reconsiders.

Maybe especially if it’s with Chuck Hansen.

They make it through three episodes of Stacker nudging Herc every time he starts to lose focus and providing as much colorful commentary as he can think of, and then he lets the poor man doze off. Against his shoulder, no less, which feels nicer than it has any right to, that small bit of human contact neither of them are quite used to anymore.

Stacker is reading reports on his tablet when Mako slips silently through the door. She stops after a few paces, dark eyes sharply taking in all the pertinent details, and he can see the moment she comes to the right conclusion. Quietly, she says, “Make sure Ranger Hansen knows not to speak badly of the captain. Chuck will take offense to that.”

Why is he not surprised. 

“I’ll tell him,” Stacker promises. He hesitates half a moment. “Did you have fun?”

“Chuck has... many interesting thoughts. We made good progress,” Mako says.

Not quite what he meant, but she looks truly pleased with whatever they’d gotten done, so he supposes that’s something. “Good.”

Mako somehow beams at him without actually smiling with her mouth. That expression goes a long way to loosening the tight knot of guilt and regret in his chest. It would be nice, if they had a better life to offer their kids, but he’s not sure it’s ever even crossed Mako’s mind. Stacker has never believed ignorance is bliss, but there is something to be said for the adaptability of children. They were so young when the war started. That might be a blessing as much as a curse.

“Goodnight, Sensei.”

“Goodnight, Mako.”

He waits until the door to her room has shut behind her. And then he looks down. “Did you get that?”

Herc rubs his eyes and sits up straighter without moving away from his side, stretching a bit before leaning back against him with a sigh. “How much do you wanna bet Chuck’s ‘interesting thoughts’ are on whether the two of them could build a warp core?”

It makes Stacker laugh, and he’s just about to say look at that, Herc’s learning already. And then he actually stops and thinks about it. “You know, I wouldn’t put it past them.”

That’s probably something they should keep an eye on.


End file.
